Arguments
by Sheryl Nantus
Summary: Thoughts and feelings when Mulder and Scully have a fight.


All Characters copyright of TenThirteen Productions and Chris Carter. No infringement intended on any part...I like being poor, really... 

Argumentsby Sheryl Martin 

Dana Scully scowled at him over the top of her files. ÒMulder, weÕve had this discussion before... and I donÕt want to have it every time you think thereÕs a new case hovering on the horizon.Ó 

Fox Mulder shook his head, holding the file folder up for her to see. ÒLook, all IÕm saying, again, is that sometimes the simplest explanation may not always be the right one...Ó 

ÒBut if it includes aliens or paranormal experiences, it automatically precludes logic and proper investigation?Ó She snorted. ÒListen to yourself...Ó 

ÒYou yourself lost time with me in the car, on that first case...Ó 

ÒWhich proves nothing. There is no logical solution, granted, but to jump from that to Ôthey are among usÕ is a leap of logic I doubt they approved of, even at Oxford.Ó 

ÒYouÕve seen...Ó 

ÒYes, I have.Ó Dana took a deep breath. ÒI also know that science has saved your life on many occasions, as well as my own. And that, more than anything else, will decipher what we encounter more than blind faith in every legend and folk tale you recite to me.Ó 

ÒScience is not the have-all and be-all of everything, Scully...Ó He looked at the ceiling as his frustration grew. ÒScience canÕt explain some of what weÕve seen; what weÕve done... sometimes itÕs easier to deal with the supernatural than what people think is normal... take Pfaster; a psychopathic killer that preyed on vulnerable women...Ó He bit off the words, seeing her grow pale. ÒScully, I meant...Ó 

Grabbing her purse, she got to her feet silently. ÒIÕll talk to you later.Ó Wrenching the door open, she walked quickly into the hallway and up the stairs. 

ÒScully...Ó The hard slam of the office door hit him like a slap in the face. Fox bit his lip, not sure what to say or do. 

Dana threw her purse on the couch, heading for the kitchen. Dropping the kettle onto the counter for tea, she angrily plugged it in and reached for the teapot. That bas... She caught herself. No, he is not a bastard. He is Fox Mulder. And you know Fox Mulder better than anyone else does... probably better than Fox Mulder. And you know he did not mean to insinuate that you were responsible in any way for what happened to you... The mug broke as she smashed it against the counter top. Right. LetÕs try this again. 

Fox snapped the pencil hard as he pressed down on the paper. Great. And he was probably supposed to go make some sort of apology to her now. Not his fault she was overly sensitive. Stupid... No, she is not a stupid woman. She is Dana Scully. She is your partner. And you know what you said was not what she needed to hear right now. And you were wrong... The pencil flew across the room. 

The tea was scalding hot, but she drank it anyway, wrapped in the afghan on her couch watching the soap operas. Well, sheÕd tell them she felt ill; go ahead and dock her for the time. EAP would cover for her if she asked for it; theyÕd been sympathetic so far... Yah, help the little woman. Let her off the hook. Tell her that it happened to everyone, any agent could be abducted for three months and turn up nearly dead; snatched by a morgue killer and almost killed again. And they were supposed to understand this... no one understood. Except Mulder. And that sonnofa... No, thatÕs not being fair to him. You know why he is the way he is. And you accepted that when you walked into his office that first day and became his partner. But sometimes she thought about what they had said, about a.... 

...Transfer? Maybe he should ask if she wanted a transfer out... he got to his feet, pacing around the office. No more nightmares; no more danger; no more midnight threats. SheÕd be entitled to it; to a nice little teaching spot at Quantico. Skinner would fix it. He would. But then heÕs be alone... 

...By himself. And that wouldnÕt be fair to him. To the Quest. Dana tucked her feet under her, putting the mug down. Remember the Academy; that smartaleck instructor who used to yell at you... Scully, youÕll never make it. Scully, youÕre too short... youÕre too frail... youÕre a woman. And Jack Willis behind him, cursing and swearing and waiting until you were out of his class before asking for that first date. And saying that you were one of the best women he had ever seen come through the Academy... and now where were you? Stuck in the basement with... 

... ÒSpookyÓ Mulder. Stuck with a partner like him sheÕd never get anywhere. Like it wasnÕt bad enough that heÕd killed his own career; he had to take her along with him. You had to do it, right Mulder, you had to go and push her buttons. DonÕt be supportive; donÕt be nice to her. Just be a jerk and make fun of her when she was down. Maybe for a sequel you can go shoot her dog and steal her Bible. He sat down, tossing the files into his drawer. WeÕll start with the lounge. To hell... 

...With this. The soap operas were enough to make anyone wish for alien abduction for the variety of it all. Dana punched in CNN, putting her head down on the pillows. So now what do you do? You walked out of there like a spoiled brat, making yourself look like a wimpy crybaby. And what does that look like to Mulder... 

...Standing in the cafeteria, staring around. She wasnÕt here, or in the library or in EAP. Great, you sent her home with that crack. Definitely killed her dog and stole her Bible. CanÕt wait to see what you.... 

...Do now? Do you go in tomorrow and pretend nothing happened... like heÕd let you. Blast... Dana reached for the telephone. Maybe she could tell him it was PMS... now thereÕs a weak excuse. No answer. Wonderful. Hope heÕs safe. Hope he didnÕt go off on some case alone. Without her.. 

...He was miserable. Admit it to yourself, if not to her. You feel lousy and you hurt her feelings and you were thoughtless. Alright... Now can you say this to her, Fox Mulder? DidnÕt think so... He pulled up to the curb, tapping the steering wheel. An excuse... coming by to get a file... to check if she was okay... to say you were... 

...Sorry? She wasnÕt going to tell him that. It wasnÕt her fault in any way shape or form... well... she might have overreacted, but then he shouldnÕt have said it that way. But then thatÕs the way he always said things, right? She jerked her head up at the gentle knocking. God, donÕt tell me that he came over here... 

...To check on her. DonÕt let her think that. He took a deep breath as the door opened a crack. 

ÒAh... Scully?Ó Fox tried to smile. ÒHello?Ó 

ÒWhat is it?Ó She didnÕt open the door any wider. ÒIÕm... IÕm not feeling too well, Mulder...Ó Pulling the afghan tighter around her sweatsuit, she stared at him. 

ÒOh.Ó He shuffled his feet for a second. ÒI... ah... was wondering if you had that folder from the last case. The autopsy file... I canÕt find it.Ó He stared at the ground. 

ÒItÕs on my desk. IÕll go get it.Ó She disappeared from sight. Gingerly he pushed the door open, stepping inside quietly. Dana reappeared, holding the folder. Her mouth tensed as she saw him inside the apartment. ÒMulder...Ó 

ÒScully... I.... ah...Ó This was not working like he had practised it in the car for the past half hour. ÒI... I didnÕt mean... it wasnÕt like I meant you were a woman...Ó His mouth hung open as he realised what he had said. A tiny smile crept across her face. 

ÒOh, really?Ó A chuckle broke loose. ÒThen what am I?Ó 

He smiled, a deep blush on his face. ÒYouÕre my partner. That is...Ó Fox let the unspoken words hang in the air between them. ÒI just... itÕs hard sometimes... IÕm not the easiest person to...Ó 

Dana nodded. ÒI know. And IÕm not leaving until we find the truth... about everything.Ó She let the file drop to the table. ÒWant some coffee?Ó 

He sighed with relief. ÒYes... if you let me make it.Ó 

ÒWhy?Ó 

ÒBecause I donÕt want you to get me coffee. Reinforces a stereotype.Ó With a grin he walked past her into the kitchen. Shaking her head with a wide smile, she turned to join him. 

*********************"If you will practice being fictional for a while, you will understand that fictional characters are sometimes more real than people with bodies and heartbeats."Richard Bach -- "Illusions" 


End file.
